


Ethic

by Aurora_Dawn, I_Simp_Weirdos



Category: Original Work
Genre: Body Horror, Demon Deals, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Hell, M/M, Mild Blood, Mild Gore, Obsession, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Psychological Trauma, Smoking, Triggers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:28:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27928291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurora_Dawn/pseuds/Aurora_Dawn, https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Simp_Weirdos/pseuds/I_Simp_Weirdos
Summary: A human strikes a deal with a Demon from Hell to make his business flourish. Because of this contract, which the human did not uphold his end of, ends up with his business falling into the 87th circle of Hell. Two workers, Leo and Vincente, end up in this pit of Hell with nearly no way out. A man, who was also apart of this catastrophe, tells them there is a way out of Hell and that they will have to overcome the triumphs that this pit of fire will throw at them. With two Demons betting on whether or not they will make it and everything getting harder with each step, they actually manage to escape these burning confines. They somehow manage to live relatively normal lives after that and even manage to grow closer during all of this.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 2





	Ethic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any mistakes will be fixed!

A loud groan could be heard over the typing of keys in the office, a man with blonde hair leaning back in his relatively empty cubicle. Leo, the man sitting by himself, looked down at the stack of papers on his desk. He still had at least thirty minutes left before he went on third block break, wondering what he could do during this time. He adjusted the plain button-up he wore and pushed himself out of the rolling chair and stood up with a groan. Leo looked around the office, his eyes wandering over every hunched body and their hands scribbling down words. How boring. Leo rolled his eyes and stopped his gaze on a person who was leaning back on their chair with a slightly distraught look on their face.

Leo pondered for a moment on whether or not if he should bother the poor body but shrugged as he wandered past a few double cubicles to the person. He stepped in their line of view and they let out an exasperated sigh. "Only thirty minutes left before the break, this is so tiring!" The man groaned, turning to the blond with an empty smile. Leo didn't bother smiling back at them, narrowing his eyes a bit. The guy rambled on about something before waving him off. Whatever. He left the office room and into the hallway, a glass window showing the glowing sun outside made him shove his hands in his pocket and glare slightly.

How in the world did he land this shit job? He doesn't know but as long as he made enough to pay bills it didn't really matter. Leo fingered the pack of cigarettes in his pocket, itching for a smoke when he heard someone approach from his right. He immediately turned his head and looked up at the tall man he's never seen in his life. "Hello sir, may I ask you something?" Uh, okay... first of all, what the hell is up with this man's speech, and second of all who the fuck is he? "Sure...?" So much for sounding so sure, but it's not like the man is holding him at gunpoint or anything. The man continued, stepping in place beside him at the window.

"You see, I have third block break. I don't want to overstate so I have to ask you..." Leo couldn't tell if the damn man is nervous or what, but he was somewhat ticked off. Leo made a motion with his head to continue before looking back out the window. "How long is the third break?" "Not long enough." Was the quick answer, gnawing at his lip as the urge to smoke in the godforsaken bland place. "I see..." The man hummed, side-eyeing him. "I'm new here so I don't really know many of the policies. You probably know how it is, everybody was a newbie sometime in their life." Leo partially ignored him, wanting time to move faster so he can finally go on break. This man talks way too much, hasn't even introduced himself either. 

The man continued talking much to the chagrin. "Haha, I can't say I like working here, but I came here for other reasons than enjoyment. Why do you work here?" Damn questions. "It's for the paycheck and don't worry, I feel the same about the whole enjoyment factor." Leo huffed as he took a step away from the window. The man's eyes followed him, turning to face him better. "Brilliant minds tend to think alike. I guess that means we're friends now, aren't we?" Does this man know when to shut the hell up? "If anything interesting happens, just tell me about it. If you forget about it, I'll just remind you. I have a photographic memory, not to brag, of course." This man is so annoying, Leo found. "I see, well it's nice to have someone else be willing to talk to me so thanks, I guess..." Leo retorts, rather annoyed that this man won't leave him alone.

"Swell. I tend to walk around a lot so you'll bump into me in a bunch of places. Just come up to me and we can chat for a bit." The man waved before stepping away to the side of the window and leaning against the wall. Leo was about to turn away and return to his cubicle when he could feel the man staring at him like he was boring metaphorical holes into his body. "..." Leo turned around when he heard him sigh, narrowing his eyes at the guy. He was so suspicious, not introducing who he is and trying to get friendly? Leo really needs a smoke. 

_"... Say..."_

The tone of his voice most certainly meant something foreboding, whatever it could mean. It rooted him in place, his finger that was tapping against the pack of cancer sticks in his pocket freezing. "Don't you feel something in the air? Something oppressive..." Leo swears he heard murderous intent behind those words, but with a shake of his head he just shrugs and steps into an adjacent hallway to get away from the weirdo, but his voice still following him as he stepped away. "I have a gut feeling that something's going to happen. So try to prepare yourself." Just as that was said, the intercom chimed signaling that the break has begun. Leo fished out his cigarettes and wandered over to the elevator that leads to the ground floor. 

He jabbed the button a few times, tapping his foot as if it'll make go faster. Soon the door opened and he stepped inside, pressing the 1st-floor button and closing the door. He played with the cancer stick between his fingers as he watched the glowing green number change before a bell chimed. The doors glide open and Leo steps out, a gold-colored lighter falling out of the cigarette package. He stepped past the dying trees that littered the first floor and stopped in the smoking zone.

"Smoking isn't good for you." Leo jumped, nearly dropping his cigarette in the process. He turned to snap at whoever is trying to give him shit when familiar black hair entered his view. He leaned against the wall and rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time today. "Be quiet Vincente, you damn exercise junky..." Leo muttered, taking a long drag of the stick. A fist connected with the back of his head, making him jerk forward out of surprise. Vincente was still smiling but Leo could see the fire burning in his eyes. "I am no exercise junky, you jerk. Now how is work coming along?" Vincente snickered when Leo glared at him.

Rubbing the back of his head, Leo exhaled a cloud of dying white smoke. It curled around itself and dispersed when the vent above sucked it up. "It's been fine I guess..." Leo softened his gaze a bit, sighing softly. Vincente blinked before shrugging, the stack of papers he was holding making a soft crinkling noise. "Are you going to eat during this break? It's not even thirty minutes long..." Vincente watched as he took another drag, smoke gliding off the other's tongue as it trailed across his top lip. "Nope, I bet after all of this is over I'll have more paperwork to deal with," Leo answers, looking over at his friend and then blowing smoke in his face.

Vincente flounders a bit, blowing away the smoke and glaring at him. He opened his mouth to possibly insult Leo but it never came, instead of a loud chime above head. The pair both look up at the ceiling, the intercom chiming. What came through next surprised the both of them _"Leo Chevalier, you are being called to the boss's office."_ Vincente looked at him with a worried look. "What did you do?" Leo blanched, biting through the filter of his cigarette."HUH?! I didn't do anything!" Leo snapped, putting out the cigarette he just destroyed and throwing it out. "Okay... but the break is just about over now, so don't do anything ba-" Leo cut him off by hitting him on the shoulder and leaving.

It was his way of getting Vincente to stop rambling, seeing how it's one of his bad nervous habits. He makes his way to the boss's office. He stood in front of the oak doors, sneering at them before knocking on the door a few times. Why, of all times, was he being called here now? His boss's voice filtered through the door and he opened it. The greasy man was sitting in his chair looking like he owns the whole world. "Finally, you're here." Leo wanted to jump the man's desk and punch him but refrained from doing so, _again._ "You're fired." Leo blinked. _What the fuck?_ "Okay..." What is he supposed to say?

"Don't worry about your stuff, just get the hell out of here." The man, and the audacity of his, motioned for him to leave and he did. How is he going to explain to Vincente? The poor man only had him as his friend, growing up in a tough and difficult life singled him out quite a bit. Leo rubbed the back of his neck, everything was moving so fast! Vincente was nowhere to be seen when he made it back to the first floor, which is probably for the best. Now thinking back to it, what the hell was that man earlier talking about? Did he say something has something to do with getting him fired? Oh, it doesn't matter anymore. 

Leo grumbled to himself and fished out another cigarette, damn his boss and damn the world. The doors opened themselves as he lit his cigarette, taking a very long needed drag. Everything outside seemed normal, people passing by now and then. Leo took a step forward, ready to head home when the ground began to tremble. He lost his footing and took a few steps back, letting out a startled noise as people outside screamed and shouted. What is with his luck today? First, he gets fired, and now an earthquake?! The world must out to get him. A loud cracking noise tore him from the wall, the building shaking violently as the tremors got worse.

He stumbles back and forth, trying to get his bearings so he can get away. Cracks ran up and splintered out on the building, debris falling around him as the cracks in the ground widened. Is this a sinkhole?! Leo watched with horror as the ground next to him opened up with a loud _CRACK!_ chunks of rock and cement flying through the air as the building tilts ominously. Just then, the building falls, the gust of wind and dust sweeping Leo off his feet. He can't hear the rumbling, not over the sound of blood rushing in his ears. His heart races, and he sweats. The ground was crumbling beneath him as he was trying to get away.

With the wrong placement of his foot, the ground gives away and he lets out a scream over the rumbling. When he looks down at where he's falling, it's just black. Empty. Leo cursed up and down as wind whistles in his ears, clothing fluttering like it was going to tear away from his body. He's moving too fast when he looks back up, the sky but just a glimmer in the dark area. He's going to faint. _He's going to faint. HE'S GOING TO FAI-_

...

...

His head hurts. Is he dead? A loud groan left his lips as he pushed himself whatever the hell he landed on. He blinked the dirt out of his eyes, everything dark. Where is he? Is he even alive? With a fall like that, there is no way he nor anybody else caught in the disaster could've lived. And yet, here he is kneeling on the floor. The floor is torn-up and damaged tiles caked in a thick layer of sediment, the place oddly familiar. Leo looked around, trying to get a better look at the place. Strewn cubicles, damaged computers, water everywhere, paper buried under debris, even the ceiling looking like it caved in and whatever metalwork that was there on the ground beside him.

What the hell? Everything was blue, though it was faint, he could see that blue tinge on everything. He turned to a broken window, glass splintered with blood glistening on the shattered pieces. "What the hell..." Leo muttered, face white as a sheet as he continued looking around. "What happened?!" _Everything looks like it's straight out of a nightmare_. Is what he wanted to say but the words were caught in his throat. "Wait." That when the realization hit him, he was in the office! But wasn't he outside? "Where is everyone? What...? Where am I?!" Though he was not a man to talk to himself, it doesn't seem like anyone else survived the fall. 

" _You seem so to be fond of talking to yourself..._ " Came a voice, startling him. What? But there is no way in hell that anyone (not even he himself) had survived the fall. Even if they did, they most certainly would've bled out from the damage. "Who are you?!" A dark chuckle was the retort, but the answer came soon after. " _Don't be so jumpy, it just me, your friend._ " That word didn't fit that sentence at all. _Friend._ It confused Leo, making him narrow his eyes at the source of where the voice could possibly be coming from. "Eh?" His voice left his throat before he could stop it. The person, whoever it may be, took a step forward.

Leo's eyes immediately darted to the dress shoes that appeared in the dim lighting, trying not to show how mortified he is. After a few more steps, the person was in full view of his sight. It was that guy! The one that wouldn't shut up before he got fired! He looks unscathed and was looking down at him. "For fucks sake! It's you!" Leo huffed, making a move to get off the dirty ground. "Have you seen anyone else? I can't tell if anyone survived the fall or not beside us." Leo managed to get onto one of his knee's balance, him severely off-kilter. "Nope," That made him freeze. _What?_ "Not a single human soul. Well, maybe some stragglers here and there, but they're already dead. Maybe beyond dead, but they're dead." What is with this man's speech? Human souls? 

"Dead?" Leo parrots, looking very concerned. "Oh, ah. That's right, you don't seem to understand." There was a pause, which made Leo more concerned than he already was. "It's a long story, but needless to say, you're in a sticky situation." "No shit, Sherlock." The problem right then and there couldn't be any more obvious, but what he was more worried about is what if a specific someone actually died during the altercation that has just arisen? "Whatever. Where are we?" Leo pushed himself to his feet, knee's hurting badly. "Isn't it obvious?" Was that rhetorical? "If I didn't know, I wouldn't ask." Leo was getting very annoyed at this.

They had a short stare-off, but Leo quickly broke it with a glare. "Just tell me already." "Fine, I'll crack." He opened his arms out as if he were going to sweep Leo up into his arms. "You're in Hell." Leo felt his brain short circuit. What did he just say? "Huh?" Leo was too busy processing what he just said. "There's no way. I died?" He lifted a hand to run through his hair, patting around himself for his cigarettes. The other man caught his hand before he could start tearing out his hair. Whatever else was about to fall from his lips stopped. Leo stared into the bright blue pools of the other man, finding them oddly creepy.

"You're not dead if you have a fear of it. My friend, you are very much alive and well." He explained, pulling the shorter man's hand away. Leo watched as he stepped back, his eyebrows furrowed as he searched for words. "How do I put this in words to help you understand? Hm..." Leo tried to search his face as the man thought, but he couldn't decipher anything. "Well, you see, your "benevolent" boss actually had connections to hell. He made a contract with a big demon here in the 87th circle. But your boss was also selfish and refused to go on his end of the contract, very well knowing that the business he built off of hell itself would one day come back exactly where it started.

Along with all of those who advocated his success... That's where you come in... you and your surviving co-workers are spread throughout the bowels of this circle." The explanation was long and wordy, making Leo's head hurt. What about...? Leo touched his face to feel it damp with dirtied tears. "Don't look so gl- Ah!" The man panicked, looking around nervously before stepping towards the suddenly crying man. "D-don't cry, there is no reason to cry when there is still hope. There's hope for you and everybody else here. You can be free-" That made Leo snap. He wanted to punch this man so bad, but instead, he snapped at him.

"How?! HOW?!" The blue-eyed man sighed softly before wiping away the tears with his pristine hand. Leo was covered head to toe with soot and debris, glaring at the man with teary eyes. "Quell your tears, and listen for a bit..." Leo grunts as the man patted his head a few times. After he gathered himself, Leo motioned for him to continue. "It's possible to escape from hell if you're a mortal..." Leo swears he talking in code, but it's better being with someone than alone. The man went on to explain how to escape, or at least the possibility of escaping when he felt much better after the explanation.

"There we are, your eyes are much more hopeful now." He said, smiling softly. Leo nods and looked down, still bothered. "All you need to do is keep that hope inside of you, and you'll come out of there unscathed..." He paused, noticing how Leo looked upset still. "Hmm, what's wrong, you still look bothered." He asked, noticing how Leo kept patting his pockets out of nervousness. "Vinny..." "Vinny?" Vincente! I need to find him! Though he's strong-headed, who knows how long he'll last for!" Leo was looking very distressed at this point, looking around frantically. He hated to ask this, but because he has no choice, Leo does so anyway.

"Do you know a way out of here?" "Yes, actually. I had to navigate through this to find you." Leo shoots him a startled look, finding what he said rather odd even though it sounded normal enough. "...why?" Leo asks, only to get a shrug off the other. "Nothing much. Now, are you ready to bust through this joint?" Leo nods and watches as he stepped away. He soon follows after him, stepping over piles of rubble and searching for his cigarettes. They passed through a dilapidated room, it horrifying in a way that everything looks like the office he was working in on the same day covered in the red of people. 

Some splats and sprays of blood could be seen here and there, but it didn't seem to bother the man he was following after. "Oi, what's your name?" Leo asked, even though this was an odd time to start introducing each other. The guy hummed before answering as they walked. "My name is Jay. Yours is Leo Chevalier." Leo startled, when did he tell this man his name? "I... don't remember telling you my name," Leo states, trying not to sound nervous. Jay chuckled, eyes staring straight ahead. "I'll tell you this... think of me as your Guardian Angel of the sorts." "Guardian Angel?" Jay pauses for a moment, his eyes landing on Leo. "Yeah, something like that."

Leo watched as he walked ahead, deciding to drop the subject. He jogged a bit to keep up with Jay, keeping himself a pace back as they weaved through the destroyed building. He looked through some of the rooms that had doors torn off their hinges and glass all over the ground. "Make sure not to get left behind." That was all Jay said before continuing. What floor are they on? It seems his question was answered when they found a flight of emergency stairs, the door that was usually locked bent nearly in half with wires sparking now and then folded over the top half of it. "You got through this deathtrap?" Leo asked, taking a closer look at the bent door. 

The folds and creases looked like they could cut, but that's not what he was really worried about. Leo was more worried about the wires that hung from the ceilings, flicking lights, and what looked to be a damn hurricane running loose. "I did, but it works since jumping out a window will certainly lead you to an early grave." Jay was frank about what he said, slipping past the door and waiting for the blond. "Yeesh, I don't really have a choice do I?" Leo asked, ducking when the wire above head began to spark wildly. "I guess not in this case," Jay said as he began the descent of stairs from the third floor to the second.

"Where did you find me?" Leo asked, his voice echoing around the pair uncomfortably. "In your boss's office, the desk saved you from being crushed to death," Jay explained with each step-down. It was hard not to slip, especially since it was hard to see with the lights constantly flickering. Rubble crunched under their feet with the occasional tap of their dress shoes. "How ironic then." Leo scoffed, shoving a hand into his pocket. He was pleasantly surprised when he felt the cold gold of his lighter, hoping that maybe his cigarettes are still on his person. Leo let out a silent sigh as they passed through another bent emergency door, taking his time to pause and look around. The room they had entered has seen better days, but it looks like a ship capsized in it and did more than some damage.

A giant hole in the wall that led to the outside was dark, eerie in a way. Jay looked around for a minute before continuing on, Leo following after him quietly. A loud clattering noise echoed from in front of them, Leo watching as a long metal pole that was probably a piece of metalwork fall from the ceiling. "You may want a weapon of some sort." Well, that was sudden, why didn't Jay tell him before? Leo nods and picks up the pole, it only a few inches taller than him. "Good enough. Now, does the emergency door to the first-floor work?" Leo asked, swinging the pole around a bit. "Well, no. The stairwell is filled with rubble so we'll have to find another way down." Jay explains, stepping past Leo to look down at a hole in the floor.

"You can jump to the first floor from here, maybe you can use the pole to break your fall." Jay motioned for Leo to come over. He did as was he was motioned to do and gave the other man a skeptical look. It is possible to jump from this floor to the next, but... that doesn't seem safe at all. "I guess, I mean if I don't use the pole in time I guess that's that then." Leo shrugged, pushing to pole through the hole to see how far it'll reach. Jay didn't look impressed at his comment but let it slide. "I guess you won't know until you try it." Leo huffs and shifts so that his legs are dangling through the hole. He dropped himself and managed to hang onto the pole as it hit the floor with a clack, swinging himself to the floor and stumbling when he slipped on rubble.

Jay followed suit and smirked, looking a little full of himself. Leo looked at the secretary's desk that was broken in half, papers were strewn about. He bent down to pick up one of the papers and looked at the writing on the paper. It was Vincente's, for sure. The handwriting was smooth and precise. Leo let the paper fall from his hand, Jay looking past him through the broken front doors. "Shall we move?" Jay asks, looking down at the man who was looking at the papers strewn about. "Sure," Leo nods, walking to the front door with the blue-eyed man. When they stepped through the threshold of the front doors is when Leo swore he was going to lose his shit. It was so dark he could barely see ten feet past his nose, and what he saw pass by his peripherals might haunt him.

A _demon_.

"I hope you are ready to run because they like fresh flesh," Jay said, his voice cutting through the dark.

_Shit._


End file.
